CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Brad Keselowski has earned fans throughout his career just by being in the right place at the right time.

Driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Nationwide Series attracted fans.

Having his car sent airborne by Carl Edwards at Atlanta and not backing down from Edwards attracted fans.

And being the driver who could beat Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup championship has added even more fans to his rapidly growing fan base.

So even though he trails Johnson by seven points with two races remaining in the 2012 season, Keselowski has experienced a swell of fan support.

"I think I have a lot of Jimmie hater fans," Keselowski said Tuesday after an appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "I'm the de facto Jimmie-hater fan base right now, which I'm not sure how I feel about it, because I try really hard to engage a very informed and positive fan base.

“And so that might not be necessarily along those lines, but I will take everything I can get right now.”

Keselowski, 28, might come off as a little too brash or disrespectful for some fans. He might not have the party personality associated with the legacy of Rusty Wallace and the Miller Lite-sponsored No. 2 car.

But Keselowski said he can’t worry about fans’ reactions to his every move.

“You realize over time you have no control of what people think,” Keselowski said. “You know what? That is a great thing. All you can do is your best to represent what you think is right and hope that you're liked for that.

“But at some point you just don't control that. There’s going to be people that like you for things that probably aren't true to who you are, but that's their impression. And there are going to be people who dislike you for things that really probably aren't true to who you are. And I think you kind of roll with some of those punches.”

Keselowski said his fan base is bigger than he could have ever imagined and he’s appreciative and thankful for their support. He just won’t race while worrying about what’s good for his fans.

“I always put competition first in front of those things,” Keselowski said. “I didn’t become a part of racing because I needed to feel liked. I joined it because I wanted to be a competitor and be the best racecar driver possible.

"It's great you have fans along the way, and I respect that immensely and will always do what I can to give back to those who make it possible for me to participate in this sport. … But the core of what I do is all based around competition and I think that’s very important.”

He does wish, though, that he could hear fans cheering during a race. When he passed Johnson for the lead at Texas, fans roared as they rooted for the newcomer trying to knock off the five-time Cup champion.

“I would have liked to have heard that,” Keselowski said. “That’s one of my biggest regrets of being a racecar driver is missing out on those moments. In other sports like football or basketball or baseball, when they do something, the crowd cheers and you really feel it.

“In racing, you’ve got none of that. It is really a big bummer because I would have loved to have heard that.”

While he might be the fans’ choice to win the championship, Keselowski knows it could turn quickly, especially if he keeps doing his job as a racecar driver.

“Build somebody up just so you can tear them down, whether it’s the president or a sports star—it’s just American culture,” Keselowski said. “Maybe one day I will be so fortunate to be torn down.”